Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Martin Helms [Click to enlarge]

Sophomore kinesiology major Joel Taca perched casually on the wooden arm of a boxy green armchair on the second floor of the University Union, a silver flute poised at his lips. He faced senior kinesiology major Ethan Wong, who was strumming a small guitar while hunched forward in his seat. Their backpacks were slung across a nearby loveseat and a line of tables against the wall were scattered with their books and laptops.

Taca and Wong, along with a small group of friends, can be seen lounging on the loveseats, sleeping on the chairs or playing music almost every day. They have claimed a small section of the second floor as their own.

Taca said they move the furniture around to suit their needs each morning.

One of his friends, sophomore undeclared major Andrew Feaster, said he sometimes pushes chairs together to create a makeshift bed. The custodial staff always move them back at night, Feaster said.

All students pay a $181 fee along with their tuition to fund the union's operations.

"That sounds like a lot, but I guess it's not when you consider this is our No. 1 hangout," Feaster said. His group of friends get their money's worth because they use the furniture every day, Feaster said.

To this group of friends, the furniture on the second floor of the union is only a small part of what makes the room a hangout place and study area. They said they don't really think about it much. They use it as they need to, but aren't particularly excited by it, he said.

To senior interior design major Lisa Henderson, the union's furniture should not be something ignorable.

"Good furniture is going to make people more comfortable and help them to focus," Henderson said. "It needs to be inviting and interactive."

Henderson thinks new furniture could draw more students to the union and create a more desirable work space. Because Sacramento State is a commuter school, it needs attractive furniture and good lighting to keep students from going home to do their work, she said.

"You want the place to be comfortable and inviting," Henderson said.

University Union Director Leslie Davis said the union is already a daily destination for almost 18,000 students.

When Davis led a tour of the building last week, it impressed 12 Associated Student Inc. and union directors from other California State University campuses.

"They were amazed at how many students were hanging out on the second floor," Davis said.

Henderson is president of a student club called Pr.Int.S, which stands for Professional Interior Design Students. At the request of the State Hornet, she took a walk through the union with her club's vice president, senior Starla Tresler, to analyze the design of the second floor.

One of the first things they noticed after climbing the mezzanine was a line of deep, round chairs in front of the TV lounge. There was stained, outdated green upholstery on the chairs. Mirrors were underneath reflecting the tossed-away paper cups on the floor.

"Very 70s," Henderson said.

"You're not going to want to sit there," Tresler said.

The two Pr.Int.S officers liked the way the chairs were angled toward each other at 45 degrees, and thought perhaps reupholstering them in different colors of Ultrasuede might make them more appealing.

In the Fireplace Lounge, Tresler and Henderson had little good to say.

"It's very dark...it kind of has a weird feeling," Henderson said. "That's actually
why I don't study here. The lighting is bad."

"It makes you very tired," Tresler agreed. "I feel exhausted."

Both rejected the idea that this area was designed for sleeping.

"Look how they're sitting," Tresler said, indicating the students on the risers.

"The risers look like they're digging into that girl's shoulder blades."

One or two students in glider chairs looked comfortable enough to doze, but most were clustered in pairs and trios chatting.

Freshman Michelle Carlson, a psychology major, was one of the few people studying in the lounge. She sat Indian-style on the risers, with sheets of graph paper spread out around her.

"I like to study here because it tends to be quieter," Carlson said. She didn't really mind the dim lighting.

They liked more design elements in the Bailey Lounge and agreed that nearly all the furniture was portable, which let students create a space for themselves that would be right for their group size. Secondly, there were a few computer stations facing the wall, away from distractions. The lighting was better, too, Henderson said.

The two interior design students found one little nook hidden away on the second floor of the union they were surprisingly pleased with.

Past the Forest and Orchard Suites was a narrow lobby near a staircase. Soft natural sunlight poured in, thanks to one large window and a door leading to a small patio outside. The carpet was green and the walls were light.

"I'd much rather work in here," Henderson said.

The natural lighting made the place ideal for focusing, she said. In her lighting class, she learned natural light keeps you awake and helps you to work better.

Tresler said she liked the idea of working outside, though she was disappointed to see there were no tables or chairs on the patio. Inside, there were only six hard wooden benches, and no tables.

"Put those benches outside," she said. "No one's going to use them in here."

"I'd do more comfortable seating," Henderson said. "This is actually a good group room, because you could have almost the whole room to yourself without anyone else distracting you, and you have the windows...this is one of my favorite places in the union."

Any interior design changes in the union would cost money.

The union does not have a specific budget amount set aside for furniture each year, said Steve Forseth, interim associate director for operations in the University Union. Instead, budget requests are given to the University Union Board of Directors for furniture spending as repairs or replacements are needed.

New furniture is usually bought a few pieces at a time. It could be expensive to replace it all at once because there are more than 200 chairs on the second floor alone.

In next year's budget, staff will be requesting money to replace some broken patio chairs, and may want to repair and reupholster others, Forseth said.

The money used for furniture purchasing and repair is also used for new carpeting, decorations and televisions.

"Last year we bought new LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TVs and put high-definition cable in the Hive," Forseth said.

Interior design professor Andrew Anker said the union's furniture has to be very durable. He compared the high traffic in the union to that of an airport.

The most recently purchased furniture, a cushioned chair bought for the third floor in 2003, has upholstery that boasts a "100,000+ double rub" durability. One "double rub" is equivalent to the friction of someone sitting down then getting up again. The fabric will start to wear after 100,000 double rubs, meaning it is a heavy-duty fabric.

When a new chair is bought, the model is looked at carefully for upholstery color, wood finish, durability and size.

Once a model has been selected, Forseth must send out letters requesting bids from a variety of vendors. The vendors who respond with an estimate will have their bids compared.

Furniture on the third floor will typically be finished with a darker wood, Forseth said, while those on the second floor are finished with a lighter wood, so that the varying styles of love seats, chairs, and tables will have a consistent look to them.

Staff have just begun the process of evaluating what needs to be replaced, Davis said. Replacing or repairing old furniture that is a safety hazard will get top budget priority.

Students can get involved in the process by putting their comments in any suggestion box.

Each year students are polled to determine what they need.

In 2002, students said they would like more tables and chairs for studying.

As a result, the board approved spending more than $10,000 for a total of 16 tables, chairs, and loveseats which were used to create study areas.

"This is not the staff's union...we're just the stewards," Davis said. "We owe it to the students to deliver as much as we can for their fees.

Lacey Waymire can be reached at lwaymire@statehornet.com.

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